Crisis hampers rights office opening

SEMARANG: The economic crisis has hampered the planned establishment of the Irian Jaya branch of the National Commission on Human Rights, according to commission member Satjipto Rahardjo.

Satjipto was quoted by Antara as saying the commission wished to establish branches in a number of regions in Indonesia as part of its commitment to the promotion of human rights. So far the commission has only one branch, in East Timor.

Satjipto said Irianese were unique in that they had yet to establish a sense of being part of a nation.

When asked whether the plan was due to a high rate of rights violations in the easternmost province of Indonesia, Satjipto said: "It's like in East Timor, it has a specific situation. But whether it's especially vulnerable (to rights violations), all regions have similar problems."